Two Dalit leaders from Nepal said that poverty was the main reason for the upsurge of Maoists struggles in the country.
Binod Pahadi, a former Member of Nepal Parliament, and Dalit leader B.K. Rem Bahdur, who were here to deliver the S.R. Sankaran Memorial Lecture, told the gatheringthat the Prachanda-led Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) brought a sea of change in the social fabric of the country by taking up struggles against untouchability. Unfortunately, the Dalits lagged behind in occupying leadership posts of the party though they were in the forefront of the struggles. Mr. Prachanda enjoyed the dominant position because of the support he got from the Dalits.
On the transformation of Nepal from a Hindu to secular society, they said it happened because of a strong demand of citizens that there should not be a national religion. The lecture was organised by the Centre for Dalit Studies.
